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All I need help. I'm a female 60 years of age that has been through physical therapy, spinal injections, SI joint injections, laminectomy, spinal fusion, spinal cord stimulator implanted, and now looking at getting my SI joint fused in a few months. I take so much oral liquid medication daily for pain. I take hydrcodone and morphine at the same time 3 - 4 times daily to get through the day. As the years have moved on I have to increase the dosage to get the same relief, I worry how much pain meds I consume daily to control my pain.My thoughts are a pain pump since nothing else has helped me with pain control in the past.I just want to know if anyone else has been going through the same thing and did the pain pump help them. If so does anyone know of a good DR in the Michigan area they would recommend to see for treatment.

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24 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Uncontrolled Spinal pain 7 years plus.All I need help. I'm a female 60 years of age that has been through physical therapy, spinal injections, SI joint injections, laminectomy, spinal fusion, spinal cord stimulator implanted, and now looking at getting my SI joint fused in a few months. I take so much oral liquid medication daily for pain. I take hydrcodone and morphine at the same time 3 - 4 times daily to get through the day. As the years have moved on I have to increase the dosage to get the same relief, I worry how much pain meds I consume daily to control my pain.My thoughts are a pain pump since nothing else has helped me with pain control in the past.I just want to know if anyone else has been going through the same thing and did the pain pump help them. If so does anyone know of a good DR in the Michigan area they would recommend to see for treatment.

Wll first of all I want you to know that I totally relate to what you are saying !!I will be 60 soon and have chronic neck and back pain for probally at least 30 years or more !!!!!AS far as the meds yes I had to increase mine after 10 years .Thank TGod that it nis helping !At least it takes the edge off !I have not tried the pump ,its a thought though !!If I knew it would work and no complications I would dod it !!! Let me know 77grace

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Report This| Share this:Uncontrolled Spinal pain 7 years plus.Wll first of all I want you to know that I totally relate to what you are saying !!I will be 60 soon and have chronic neck and back pain for probally at least 30 years or more !!!!!AS far as the meds yes I had to increase mine after 10 years .Thank TGod that it nis helping !At least it takes the edge off !I have not tried the pump ,its a thought though !!If I knew it would work and no complications I would dod it !!! Let me know 77grace

Good morning,1st off, Please know I think most of us here know of the issues with pain & how to control it! That is the reason we are here!At any rate, I have had the Pain Infusion Pump Implant! I did enjoy all of the benefits, BUT, it did have it's drawbacks! Which is why I write in the Past Tense! It is wonderful Pain Control given you are a good candidate & you have a Great Dr.!I have seen on Medtronic's Website where they have designed a much smaller device! Perhaps that is where you may find some valuable information? Definitely, your Dr., is the beginning of your search for info before have an implantationI wish you the Best Luck whichever way you proceed, periwinkle.

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Report This| Share this:Uncontrolled Spinal pain 7 years plus.Good morning,1st off, Please know I think most of us here know of the issues with pain & how to control it! That is the reason we are here!At any rate, I have had the Pain Infusion Pump Implant! I did enjoy all of the benefits, BUT, it did have it's drawbacks! Which is why I write in the Past Tense! It is wonderful Pain Control given you are a good candidate & you have a Great Dr.!I have seen on Medtronic's Website where they have designed a much smaller device! Perhaps that is where you may find some valuable information? Definitely, your Dr., is the beginning of your search for info before have an implantationI wish you the Best Luck whichever way you proceed, periwinkle.

CT Beth, I will be having the SI fusion soon if that doesn't help with the pain. I will be looking into finding a pain clinic doctor about the pump. I'm so tired of letting the narcotics control my life making sure I have enough with me when I travel or leave my home.

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Report This| Share this:Uncontrolled Spinal pain 7 years plus.CT Beth, I will be having the SI fusion soon if that doesn't help with the pain. I will be looking into finding a pain clinic doctor about the pump. I'm so tired of letting the narcotics control my life making sure I have enough with me when I travel or leave my home.

Hello 77 Grace. I'm glad you are still getting good pain relief. As the years roll on I have had to keep increasing the amounts to get the same affect. I don't know anyone that has a pump but would like to talk to someone before moving ahead. I have a great deal of research to do before moving ahead. Good luck. Pain is a tough thing to deal with on a daily basis.

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Report This| Share this:Uncontrolled Spinal pain 7 years plus.Hello 77 Grace. I'm glad you are still getting good pain relief. As the years roll on I have had to keep increasing the amounts to get the same affect. I don't know anyone that has a pump but would like to talk to someone before moving ahead. I have a great deal of research to do before moving ahead. Good luck. Pain is a tough thing to deal with on a daily basis.

Hello Beth, that is my daughter name also. I had a four level fusion done about five years ago L 3,4,5 S1, and still had pain from day one after the fusion. The nerosurgeon could not give me an answer to why. Then I had the SCS put in and it helped a little at first but now seems to do nothing for my pain. So after physical therapy, injections, surgerys, also I did radio ferency ablasion to the spinal nerves last spring with no pain reduction, next is the SI fusion for pain relief. So if that doesn't work I plan on moving ahead with the internal pump. I'm in a holding pattern till I'm on medicare as of May 1,

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Report This| Share this:Uncontrolled Spinal pain 7 years plus.Hello Beth, that is my daughter name also. I had a four level fusion done about five years ago L 3,4,5 S1, and still had pain from day one after the fusion. The nerosurgeon could not give me an answer to why. Then I had the SCS put in and it helped a little at first but now seems to do nothing for my pain. So after physical therapy, injections, surgerys, also I did radio ferency ablasion to the spinal nerves last spring with no pain reduction, next is the SI fusion for pain relief. So if that doesn't work I plan on moving ahead with the internal pump. I'm in a holding pattern till I'm on medicare as of May 1,

Beth. I still have the SCS implanted I just turned it off for a while since it wasn't doing me any good. I have thought about getting it adjusted I think I will follow up on that.I'm having my SI joint fused not my spine. The Dr did a trial injection under x-ray to see if a numbing agent blocked my pain for at least 6 hours which it did for 24 hours. I was so excited that for the first time in years I had a full day with no pain. Although I was having withdrawals from opiates so I was taking 1/2 doses. So time will tell what the next move is for me.

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Report This| Share this:Uncontrolled Spinal pain 7 years plus.Beth. I still have the SCS implanted I just turned it off for a while since it wasn't doing me any good. I have thought about getting it adjusted I think I will follow up on that.I'm having my SI joint fused not my spine. The Dr did a trial injection under x-ray to see if a numbing agent blocked my pain for at least 6 hours which it did for 24 hours. I was so excited that for the first time in years I had a full day with no pain. Although I was having withdrawals from opiates so I was taking 1/2 doses. So time will tell what the next move is for me.

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